


Wouldn't It Be Fun To Run Away, Just You and Me?

by Befrie08



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Caryl, Episode 1, F/M, Looking for beta reader, Running Away, Season 9, king ezekiel (mentioned) - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2019-08-21 02:34:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16567952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Befrie08/pseuds/Befrie08
Summary: Alternate take on Carol and Daryl's conversation at The Sanctuary during episode one of season nine. My first AO3 story. Might continue into multi-chapter.





	1. Chapter 1

Hi There!  
This is my first work I've posted on AO3, so a little nervous. I know the writing is not the best, so feel free to give me some critiques so I can improve. I'd really love to work with a beta reader but I don't really know how to get one. Anyway, hope you like it :) 

She probably should feel guilty. Sneaking away from her lover in the middle of the night to snuggle in the arms of another man. She couldn’t bring herself to though. The only thing she felt was contentment as she nuzzled her head deeper into Daryl’s chest. His hand was rubbing up and down her back in soothing motions. At some point after she had leant her head on his shoulder, he had shifted so he was holding her against his side with an arm around her waist. 

“Daryl?” she said, breaking the comfortable silence. He grunted in response and she sighed, not looking forward to this conversation. 

“I heard you and Rick talking. I know you don’t want to be here,” she felt him tense around her and she could feel his attention was completely focused on her now. 

“You miss how it used to be, don’t you?” she asked. 

“Of course I miss ‘em,” he responded and she shook her head against him, before she pulled back to look at him. 

“I don’t mean the group. I mean you miss the way we used to be. Living out there, on the road,” she watched him analyse her words carefully. 

“Sometimes, I guess. It’s just all of this future shit getting done, it’s feeling more and more like the old world. The one where I didn’t belong,” he admitted, looking down, his bangs covering his eyes.

“I know. They need it, though. The others. They’ve been craving stability,” Carol said pursing her lips, returning to her spot cuddled up to Daryl. 

“Not you?” he asked, sounding nervous. She enjoyed the rumble against her that accompanied his words. She thought over her answer.

“I don’t need stability. Stability was like what my old life was. Everything perfect, everything planned out. I don’t want that ever again,” she answered truthfully. Daryl didn’t answer for a moment. 

“Is that why you turned the King down?” he asked finally, sounding hesitant. 

“No, well, kind of. I can’t marry him.” She knew she had his undivided attention now. 

“It was alright for awhile. Playing the part. That’s what it is though. A façade. I mean, I like him, he’s nice and he treats me well,” she explained. She knew she needed to admit it out loud. 

“I don’t love him though and I never will.” She felt Daryl shift a little at that. 

“You that sure it’d never happen,” he questioned reasonably. 

“I know it for a fact. He doesn’t know me. He just likes the thought of this brave warrior woman he’s concocted in his head.” They were both silent for awhile.

“Anyway, I know you want to leave. I won’t be selfish. If you need to leave, then you should. I’ll miss you though,” Carol said, keeping her tears at bay at the thought of never seeing him again. He didn’t respond and she knew he was thinking deeply. 

“Can’t. Rick, the others, they need me.” 

“There’s plenty of people Daryl. You don’t need to just do it because Rick wants you to stay. You deserve to be happy too. I know you can’t find that here.” She heard the hitch in her own voice and she felt Daryl pull her closer in response.   
“Can’t leave ya,” he said resolutely and she looked up at him again. He was looking down at her. She stared back at him before looking away to lean back against him comfortably again. 

“Sometimes I wish it could be like this all the time,” Carol murmured softly in the darkness. She heard Daryl making a grunting noise indicating his agreement. 

“Seriously, sometimes I think about running away. Just you and me. Heading back out onto the road and finding a place just for us,” 

“Could ya really do that though? Leave everyone else behind?” She didn’t even hesitate.

“Yes. If it was you and me, I’d have everything I need.” Daryl looked a little surprised at that but she saw the satisfied look in his eyes and she felt him tighten his hold on her. 

They lapsed back into silence and stayed that way until the sun began to peak upon the horizon. 

Hope you enjoyed this. Let me know if you'd like me to continue. Let me know how you think I can improve etc. Thanks for reading!


	2. Time To Say Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl puts the plan in action and asks Carol to leave with him. Next comes the goodbyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the reviews and kudos'. I apologise for the wait for this next instalment but I had a bit of writers block in finishing this chapter. I hope you enjoy this one. I am also looking for a Beta reader if anyone is interested.

The next day everyone was hard at work but Daryl had other plans for his day. He had gathered ample supplies and the saddle bags on his bike were filled. There was only one thing left. He saw Carol helping some of the workers shift some boxes of ammunition. He caught her gaze and she smiled brightly at him in response. He indicated with his head for her to come over. She turned to the workers, excusing herself before heading his way. 

“Hey, what’s up?” she asked as she reached him. He took her hand and led her around behind the building. 

“Daryl? What is it?” she asked sounding concerned. He finally stopped when they were out of sight. He hesitated as she stood in front of him looking confused. 

“I’m leaving. Today,” he explained and he watched the light drain from her eyes. She swallowed and wrung her hands before wiping them needlessly on her pants. 

“Oh, I didn’t expect it to be this soon,” she started, taking a deep breath. He could see the tears welling in her eyes and he hurried with his explanation to stop them. 

“I want you to come with me,” he couldn’t help the shakiness of his voice and uncertainty that clouded it. If she said no, he didn’t know what to do. She blanched in shock.

“What?” 

“Come with me. We can do it. You and me,” he urged in an almost desperate voice. His insecurity reared uncontrollably and he deflated a little.

“I mean, I get it if you don’t want to. I ain’t giving ya an ultimatum. If you don’t come with me, I’ll stay,” he said. He shifted and shrugged his shoulders in a self concious way.

“I just thought we could do it. What you said you wanted. We both ain’t happy here, so we don’t gotta be.” He watched her think over his words and he felt like his heart was pounding in his chest. He soon saw a smile tugging at her lips. 

“Okay, Pookie.” His breath left him in a rush and he grinned for the first in he couldn’t remember when. He couldn’t help himself from grabbing her in a hug, squeezing her against him. He heard her giggle in his ear. 

“Wait, wait Daryl. First we need to call a council meeting,” she insisted and he pulled back to look at her. He bit his lip with a frown.

“Why?”

“We can’t just leave!” Carol stated and he huffed. 

“I was planning on saying goodbye to our people, I don’t see why we need to call a meeting,” he muttered, not liking the thought of being scrutinized in an official setting. 

“Daryl, we need to do this properly. It’ll be better if we do it this way,” Carol insisted and he sighed as he looked at her pleading expression. He couldn’t deny her a damn thing. 

“Fine, I’ll get Rick to gather everyone.” She smiled at him and threw her arms around him again. This was a good reason for not denying her. He buried his face in her neck. 

 

Daryl shifted, not enjoying being the centre of attention. He saw Carol in the back give him an encouraging smile. 

“Alright, Daryl. You called the council meeting. What’s up?” Rick asked, breaking through the quiet of the room. 

“I’m leaving,” he figured it was better to just get it out with. No beating around the bush about it. He saw many expressions of confusion. 

“I know. You’re going back to Hilltop. Everyone is okay with that,” Rick responded looking a little lost. 

“Naw, I mean I’m leaving. For good, probably,” He clarified and saw the confusion that filled the room turn to alarm. Everyone looked at Rick. He was staring at Daryl in shock, eyes wide. 

“What?” Rick’s voice was small and Daryl felt a little guilty for throwing the man off. 

“Yeah, I’m leaving today,” he continued. Rick ran his tongue over his teeth before answering. 

“Where are you gonna go?” he asked. 

“Dunno, just anywhere,” Daryl answered with a shrug. Rick’s face screwed up.

“You can’t just head out there alone. Even you won’t make it alone!” Rick protested, throwing his arm up. Daryl refrained from retorting that he would so be fine alone. Not the point at the moment. 

“I ain’t gonna be alone,” Daryl explained and Rick settled again as he prompted Daryl with another look of confusion. Except Daryl didn’t answer.

“I’m going with him,” Came the feminine voice from the back of the room. Everyone turned in their seats in surprise as Carol stood. She made her way to where Daryl was. There came an overlapping of voices as people began protesting this new development. The loudest however, came from the fake King. 

“Excuse me?” Daryl watched as Carol winced at the sound of Ezekiel’s voice. He watched as the King stood and came to face Carol. 

“And when were you going to tell me about this, Carol?” he demanded, all trace of play acting gone from his voice. Carol sighed. 

“I’m telling you now,” she said simply and Daryl watched the King’s face crumple in betrayal. He winced. He didn’t exactly like the King’s involvement with Carol but the guy was okay. Daryl felt sorry for the poor bastard. 

“What about me? What about us?” he begged as he held her hands in his. Daryl could see Carol was struggling to keep her composure. He knew she hadn’t intended to hurt Ezekiel and that in her way she did care about the man. 

“I’m sorry. I tried and it was good for awhile but we weren’t going to last,” she explained and Ezekiel’s face continued to crumble. For the first time, Ezekiel’s attention shifted to Daryl. 

“Why would you do this? Why would you ask her to leave with you? You knew she was with me!” Ezekiel accused with a hurt expression. Daryl shook his head and tried to think of something to say to the heartbroken man. 

“Don’t blame this on him. It was my idea,” Carol’s voice broke through and Ezekiel looked at her again with wide eyes. 

“I can’t believe this!” The King muttered and he stumble back a little, looking around before making for the door, slamming it behind him, ignoring Carol’s cries of his name. Daryl could see the tears streaking her cheeks now and he sighed, coming up to wrap his arm around her. She curled immediately into his side and buried her face into his chest. 

Rick cleared his throat to break the awkward silence in the room. 

“You’re really going through with this?” he asked, his face filled with disappointment. 

“Yeah,” is the only response Daryl could come out with. He knew Rick didn’t want him to go for various reasons. 

“Is this ‘cause I made you stay at the sanctuary?” Rick asked next and Daryl immediately shook his head. 

“Nah, man. It’s nothing to do with you. You’re rebuilding the world and that’s good. You, Michonne, and Judith deserve that. It’s not me though. It never was,” he finished. Carol had calmed down in his arms and gave him a squeeze in encouragement. He watched as Rick rubbed a hand down his face and when he looked back up, there were tears glistening in his eyes. The ex-cop breathed out a shaky laugh.

“God, I’m gonna miss you. Both of you,” Rick admitted. Daryl could see that he was trying not to let himself be as emotional as he was feeling. Daryl was thankful for that. He was never comfortable around blatant shows of emotion and besides that, he was struggling with his own emotional reactions. He was gonna miss Rick too. 

Carol broke away from Daryl and pulled Rick into her arms. 

“We’ll miss you too,” she vowed as she rubbed her hand up and down Rick’s back. When she pulled back, she offered him a watery smile. 

“I need to go find Ezekiel. I don’t want to leave things like that.” With that said she stepped away, stopping to touch Daryl on the shoulder briefly, and then left the room. Rick’s eyes followed the motion. Soon it was just the two brothers. 

Rick seemed to study Daryl for a moment, his eyes thoughtful. Daryl just waited silently. He knew Rick would speak when he was ready. Besides, Rick knew all too well that Daryl was not one to hold a conversation. 

“I can’t help but wonder. You and Carol….” Rick trailed off letting the comment linger in the air. Rick continued to look at him expectantly. Daryl frowned, not understanding what Rick was getting at. 

“Me and Carol what?” Daryl prompted, still confused. Rick sighed and adjust his stance. 

“Look, I’m not judging. If you and Carol had something going on while she was still...” Daryl finally caught on as Rick continued to ramble. 

“What the hell? No! It ain’t like that!” Daryl protested angrily. He couldn’t believe Rick was accusing him and Carol of sneaking around. For one thing Carol wasn’t like that. Neither was he but it offended him more that Rick was insinuating Carol would do something like that. It baffled him even more that Rick thought Carol would ever look at him that way. They were friends and that was all it was ever going to be. He didn’t need anyone to convince him of that. She was way too good for him. 

“Sorry! I just wondered is all,” Rick’s face was red as he spoke. Daryl shook his head in disgust. 

“You know us better than that,” Daryl stated and Rick looked suitably placated. 

“Sorry, I do. I didn’t stop to think. It’s just an odd situation. I know you didn’t want to be here but Carol? I thought she was happy. You know, she had Ezekiel and Henry….” Rick trailed off, looking baffled. Daryl huffed.

“Man, you’re blind. She ain’t happy. Ain’t been happy for years, I reckon. That’s why she wanted to go. She don’t gotta pretend with me,” Daryl explained. Rick looked a little ashamed and Daryl guessed he must have felt bad for not noticing his friend was so unhappy. Rick’s always been a little self involved, though. 

“Right. I’m sorry I didn’t see it. You’ve always been better at reading people, her most of all.” Rick apologised. Daryl watched as his friend stepped forward and knowing his intentions, he accepted the hug. 

“You make sure you stay safe and if you ever need to, you can come back,” Rick spoke against his shoulder. Daryl nodded in acceptance of the offer and patted his friend’s back. They both stepped away from each other after a moment. Rick stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets and regarded Daryl. 

“Stop by the armoury before you leave and grab a walkie. It’d just make me feel a lot better if you have a way to contact us,” Rick’s voice wavered a little but his expression showed nothing. Daryl knew the man was trying not to have a breakdown in front of him, which Daryl was thankful for once more. If Rick started crying, Daryl was sure it would set him off too. He nodded his head at Rick’s request and he indicated with his head towards the door. 

“I should go wait for Carol. It ain’t going to be pretty after she sees The King.” He could only imagine how awful that conversation was going. Rick nodded and said no more as he headed out to find Carol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is. I'm not sure when the next one will be up but I'm definitely continuing. Thanks for reading. I'm happy to receive constructive criticism as I know I am not the best at writing. I just need to get my fics out and I decided to just go for it instead of being self conscious about my ability.


	3. The King's Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol seeks out Ezekiel and tries to make him understand why she can't love him. The two share goodbyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! This one is very short, mainly because I kind of wanted to get it out of the way. I know that's lazy of me but I found myself pulling my hair out trying to get through this chapter. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Carol found the King outside, fixing his horse to leave. She sighed. She knew it hadn’t been right to just drop it on him out in public like that but the thought of talking to him alone caused her to feel dread. She supposed it reminded her of the times she tried to leave Ed. She knew Ezekiel would never hurt her but old habits died hard. 

“Can we talk?” Carol asked demurely. Ezekiel looked up, noticing her. His eyes were red as if he had been crying and it made her cringe. She really had hurt him. She half expected him to tell her to go to hell but he marched over to her. 

“But of course! Anything you desire,” his words sweeping the air filled with sarcasm. She flinched in response. She had never heard him speak like that to her. She didn’t blame him. 

“Please, Ezekiel. I never meant for it to be like this,” Carol begged, trying not to cry. As much as she tried to be heartless at times, it was in her nature to feel empathy for those in pain. Particularly when that pain was caused by her. 

“There’s things I haven’t told you. Things that happened before all of this. Not that that excuses anything but it would help you understand,” she tried to explain. She had never told him about Ed or about Sophia. The only ones alive who knew about her old family were Daryl, Rick and Maggie. She owed it to Ezekiel to tell him so he could understand why she had never and could never give him her heart. He watched her for a moment before he sighed and moved closer to her. His face had lost the hard edge it had taken and there was a new patience in it. 

“Tell me,” He urged gently. 

“Before everything, I had a husband. He was never anything to write home about but at first I loved him. Then a year after we were married, he got violent. He used to beat the shit out of me for the smallest thing. The only time he ever left me alone was when I was pregnant with my daughter,” Carol revealed, feeling her stomach churn. She always felt a little sick whenever she thought about Ed. Ezekiel looked stunned. 

“You had a daughter? You never told me,” there was a hint of accusation in his tone. 

“Her name was Sophia. She was alive when this started. She made it to age twelve. Then I lost her,” Carol couldn’t help the tear that escaped. It drove her mad imagining how, if she had been the way she was now, she never would have lost her daughter. She would have been strong enough to protect her. 

“I didn’t tell you because it’s something I am ashamed of. The only ones who know are the people I love and trust above all others,” she said it quietly, knowing it would hurt him. He looked sucker punched and he struggled with his words. 

“Rick?” he asked and she nodded.

“Maggie,” she added to the list out loud. 

“Daryl,” he said with conviction. Carol nodded, confirming. 

“You love him,” Ezekiel stated and it didn’t sound like a question. Carol frowned at him.

“Of course I do! He’s my family!” she protested, not understanding what she was defending. He shook his head at her.

“No, not like that. You LOVE him,” Ezekiel clarified and Carol was stunned. 

“W…What?” she stuttered, trying to get her head around Ezekiel’s thought process. He thought she was in love with Daryl? She was, of course, but no one knew that but her. There was never a need to confess that secret. Nothing would come of her feelings for her best friend so she had never spoken them. Maybe back when they had first started to become close she might have entertained the idea that they might have something more. Now she knew that Daryl just wasn’t interested in that and he wouldn’t be interested in it with her especially. For one thing, she was too old to be considered desirable anymore. 

“Carol, don’t play dumb with me. I’ve always seen it but it took me far too long to accept it. That’s why you don’t love me. Because you already love him,” Ezekiel revealed looking heartbroken. She was shocked that he had suspected all this time. She had thought she had been very subtle about her feelings for the hunter. 

“I…I’m sorry. I tried to be what you wanted from me. I knew nothing would happen with Daryl so I tried to move on,” she explained, feeling terrible. Ezekiel looked understanding though. 

“I’m not happy about this but I forgive you,” he said with a kind, yet sad smile. Carol blinked, not expecting that. 

“Just like that?” she asked, still confused. Ezekiel laughed with an unhappy edge. 

“I always knew you didn’t really love me. You only stayed because of Henry. He’ll be a man soon. It’s your turn to try to find happiness,” The king said. Carol swallowed, trying to smile at him. It wasn’t easy. Ezekiel studied her for a moment before he sighed and stepped towards her, pulling her into a tight hug. 

“Be safe out there and know that there will always be a place for you at The Kingdom,” he offered kindly. She pulled back and gave him a weak smile. 

“Thank you. Before I leave I’ll give you a letter for Henry. I know it’s cowardly of me but I don’t think I can face him,” Carol explained with a guilty expression. The bond between her adopted son and her had been rocky as of late but she would definitely miss him. Ezekiel didn’t look at her with any judgement, he just nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this seemed rushed but I don't enjoy writing King Ezekiel. I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Next chapter will be back to Caryl so don't worry.


	4. Alone At Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol and Daryl camp out in the woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are with Caryl together and alone!

The sun had begun to dip behind the horizon and it wasn’t long until Daryl was slowing the truck and pulling into the woods. Carol pushed open the door and climbed out, Daryl following soon after. 

“We should make camp for the night. Ain’t smart to travel in the dark,” Daryl commented. She nodded in agreement. They both knew better than to travel at night. 

Daryl reached into the trailer and pulled out a pack. He handed her a sleeping bag and a small tent which was tightly compacted. He and Carol walked further into the trees to find a spot to set up camp. 

She was startled when she felt a hand on her arm, pulling her up short. She was surprised when Daryl took the items back from her and marched off in front. She frowned and huffed. 

“I could have carried them,” Carol pointed out after him. 

“I know,” He called back to her as he continued to walk. She shook her head with a little smile. No one would ever believe how chivalrous he was. 

They set their things down in a small area surrounded by trees on all sides. Carol set to work putting the tent up while Daryl began to get a fire going. As soon as she was done with the tent, she passed by Daryl at the fire who looked up from his task momentarily to watch her. She gave him a smile as she went. She stopped herself from chuckling as he ducked his head immediately with a blush on his cheeks. She continued on her way to the bag, pulling out some wire and empty cans. 

“I’ll set up the perimeter. Looks pretty quiet around here but you never know,” Carol said as she started toward the tree line. Daryl grunted in acknowledgement and kept at the fire, which soon was smoking well. She spread the empty cans amongst the trees, connected by the wire. If walkers came during the night, they’d hear them. 

She returned to the bag and dug out some cans of food. The small amount of supplies they had taken would not last long and soon they would need to rely on Daryl’s hunting skills. This time away from other distractions would hopefully allow her to start learning from him again. 

Back in the winter after they left the farm Daryl had begun to teach her how to track and forage. Amongst learning how to use a rifle, it had helped her feel like she was pulling her weight with the group. Back then she had only been able to offer her cooking and laundry skills and it always had left her feeling quite useless in the grand scheme of things. 

Carol settled down in front of the fire, enjoying the warmth it radiated. Carol pulled her knife from its sheath and set to work opening the cans. She immediately offered Daryl the can of lamb stew, knowing he liked it, while she took the chicken and vegetable soup. He took the can with a thanks and took the spoon she gave him. They ate quietly. 

She studied him over the fire. His hair was ridiculously long now. Perhaps out here he’d finally let her cut it. It had to impede his vision so it was only practical. His eyes were cast down to his food as he ate but she was happy to see that the hard edge that was present only yesterday had disappeared. Daryl finally glanced up, clearly feeling her eyes on him. He shifted under her gaze. 

“What?” he asked through a mouthful of food, the word coming out garbled. She grinned. She always loved how he never put on airs and graces. He didn’t give a shit what people thought of him and didn’t care about being polite. 

“You seem happier,” she pointed out. He chewed his food as he seemed to think. He shrugged.

“Ain’t no one expecting nothing of me out here,” he responded simply. She nodded. That was something she understood. 

“I know what you mean,” she agreed. He watched her for a moment, looking thoughtful. 

“Are you? happier?” Daryl asked, sounding almost afraid of the answer. She considered it. Happy was a foreign concept for her and throughout this new world they lived in, she had had to adjust her definition of the word. Amongst The Kingdom she had felt trapped. There had been no happiness to be found there. Perhaps contentment could have been achieved after some time but it was doubtful. Out here, in the woods, surrounded by nature and possible danger around every corner; she felt alive again. She smiled.

“I am.” Daryl seemed relieved at her answer and returned her smile with a small one of his own. 

“You should get some sleep. I’ll take first watch. Gotta travel more tomorrow,” Daryl said as he stood and picked up his crossbow. She stood and patted her legs down to dislodge the grass attached to her. She watched him take up a stance against a tree at the perimeter. 

“This place is pretty secure. Anything comes we’ll hear it. Don’t really need to keep watch,” Carol stated. Daryl shook his head, his eyes still scanning the area. 

“Nah, I’ll keep watch. I don’t trust those assholes,” Daryl growled, his eyes narrowing to a glare. Those assholes being the remaining Saviours. She sighed and walked over to him. When she was standing at his side he glanced her way, his glare dropping. She reached out to brush his hair from his face and his eyes watched the motion. When his eyes returned to look at her she grabbed his hand with her other hand. He looked down at their clasped hands. He looked back up at her curiously. 

“They’re not going to try anything. We’re safe and I’m not going to be able to get any sleep if you’re not there next to me,” Carol said gently, squeezing his hand in hers. She could see the reluctance in his eyes as he warred with his instincts. 

“I’ll feel safer if you’re there,” she coaxed, feeling the tension leave him. He sighed and allowed her to pull him along by the hand behind her. 

“Our weapons will be right there beside us,” she reminded him as they walked. She let go of his hand when she got to the tent and entered, knowing he would follow. She unzipped the large sleeping bag and crawled in, placing her gun by her head. She heard Daryl come inside finally and heard him set his bow down. There was some rustling as he clambered in on the other side and then she heard the zipping of the bag. There was a chasm of space between them and she knew he was trying not to invade her space. It annoyed her even though his intentions were well meant. They had spent a long time on the road and had shared sleeping bags before. There had never been this much space between them, after the initial few times. It just served to remind her how much things had changed and how their relationship was not the same as it was. They were not as comfortable with each other as they once had been. 

“We’ve only been out here a day but if the smell is that bad already, I’m sure we could find a lake at some point,” she threw at him over her shoulder trying to make light of it. Of course, Daryl didn’t catch on to her joke. She felt and heard the sleeping bag shift. 

“Huh?” his gruff voice sounded his confusion. She rolled her eyes and reached out behind her with her hand. She encountered him soon and felt him jump as her hand touched him. She felt around a little, hoping she wasn’t anywhere too personal, she thought with a blush. She was relieved when she grabbed onto his hand. She tugged gently. 

“Come here,” Carol ordered and she felt him shuffle closer until he was almost pressed against her. She felt his breath on the back of her neck.   
“That better?” Daryl asked quietly. She didn’t answer straight away. She hesitated in completing her next action, worrying that it might be too much for him. She took a breath of courage before pulling his arm around to rest against her stomach. She heard him suck in his breath and felt him freeze. She prayed he wouldn’t run. This had once been normal between them when they were living on the road. He had practically the same reaction back then, the first time she had done this. 

“Is this okay?” she asked, hoping he would not say no. If he did, she’d let him have his space but having him this close was already doing wonder for her. Her breathing already seemed more relaxed. He didn’t answer for a while and she waited patiently. Soon she felt him relax and his hand settled on her stomach. 

“Yeah,” he answered softly. She lay her hand over his where it rested on her belly and closed her eyes, finally feeling ready to sleep. His voice came again soon though.

“You got your gun?” she smiled and squeezed his hand. She nodded her head, not knowing if he could see her in the dark. 

“It’s right here.” She felt his breath ghost over her neck as he settled down and snuggled into her. 

“A’right,” was the last she heard from him before she dozed off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it!


	5. Truth Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol has a nightmare and it leads to a lot of revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter. It might be a little while before the next one as I have to get some planning done for the next part.

Daryl woke to a sensation of comfort he hadn’t felt in years. He felt so warm, secure, and surrounded by an intoxicating scent of vanilla. He nuzzled in closer to the scent, his arm curled tighter around the soft thing he was holding. He heard a quiet moan and he froze. Shit. His eyes snapped open and they struggled to adjust to the darkness. Soon he could make out the shape of Carol in front of him. God, he hoped she was still asleep. He knew she wanted him near but not this near where he was practically on top of her. 

He pulled away as gently as he could but found he couldn’t move far as Carol’s hand grabbed onto his arm, holding it in place. He huffed and stopped trying to get away. He could definitely get his arm free if he really wanted to but doing so would probably wake her and that was something he did not want to do. Carol had slept through the night and that was a miracle in itself. He was no stranger to sharing a sleeping space with her and he knew she was prone to nightmares. 

When they had been on the road after the loss of the farm, he had been woken frequently by her thrashing during the night whilst she had been in the throes of a terrifying nightmare. He never got angry with or blamed her, though she had always been apologetic. The apology was unneeded because he got nightmares too. 

It was almost like some cosmic thing had read his mind because immediately after he thought about it, Carol began to move. He could see that she was still asleep but there were tears falling from her closed eyes and she began to whimper. Daryl’s heart ached at seeing her in such distress. He knew there were many possibilities to what she could be dreaming about. 

This warrior woman had faced so much loss and atrocities that it always amazed him how she managed to keep going on. She inspired him in ways she didn’t even know. If it hadn’t been for her he was sure he would have given up long before now. He hated to think she was reliving any of the things he knew she had been through. She didn’t need that shit. 

“Hey,” Daryl called to her as he gently shook her arm. He didn’t want to startle her because he knew how terrifying it could be to be ripped from a nightmare and not know what was real or not. She didn’t wake though and her crying seemed to become worse. A sob broke through her mouth.

“Carol,” he tried a little louder but didn’t shake her any harder than he had been. Almost immediately her eyes snapped open and she gasped for air. Her eyes whirred around wildly in fear. He put his hand on her face gently and hushed her. Her eyes finally settled on him and she let out a breath. She shut her eyes and slumped to the ground. 

“Hey, you alright?” Daryl asked softly as he watched her try to catch her breath. Carol sighed and sat up slowly, raising her hands to rub at her eyes. 

“Yeah. Sorry,” she answered as she wiped the rest of the tears away. He shook his head at her guilty expression. 

“Told ya a million damn times, you don’t gotta apologise for waking me,” he admonished in a soft voice. She pursed her lips and looked down at her hands. She still seemed out of it. 

“You wanna talk about it?” he offered, not wanting to force her to talk. No matter how much he might want to know what was haunting her, he wanted her to tell him herself. There were a lot of things she hadn’t told him and it still burned him that she hadn’t opened up to him about them. They used to be close enough that they had known practically everything about each other, at least in this world. Then Rick had kicked her out, the prison had fallen and everyone scattered. Things were never the same after that. 

“No,” Carol said and his shoulders slumped in defeat that she wouldn’t lean on him. He guessed they’d never get back the confidence between them that once was. He was getting ready to excuse himself to go piss or hunt or something, to give her the space she wanted. But her voice came again. 

“But I think I need to,” her broken voice spoke and he snapped his head back to look at her in surprise. He had been sure that she was going to close up on him again. He tried not to seem too eager. 

“Ya can tell me anythin’. I ain’t going nowhere,” Daryl vowed as he settled back in his spot and waited. She watched him for a moment before she sucked in some air. When she let it out she chuckled, but he could tell there was no humour in it. 

“This isn’t going to be easy for me. I know you wondered for a long time. I thought that if I didn’t talk about it I could just forget it. It didn’t work though,” Carol started and Daryl listened, not interrupting her. He thought he knew what she was going to reveal. One of the biggest things she had never told him was what happened with Tyreese and the girls before Terminus. He knew it haunted her and what happened must have been bad and had ended with the loss of the two little girls in her charge. 

“I went back to the prison and found it in ruins. After that I followed what tracks I could see. There were so many but I stuck to the ones that were the clearest. Soon I found the girls. Lizzie was trying to keep Judith quiet but she was practically suffocating her,” Carol’s voice shook when she said Lizzie’s name. Daryl was shocked to hear that the girl could have killed Judith. 

“They told me Tyreese was with them so we went and found him. We travelled for a while, deciding to follow the train tracks. Mika was excited about finding Terminus. I wasn’t so sure about it. We kept going until we found a little house.” Carol’s gaze had darkened and Daryl knew they were getting to the real bad part of the story. 

“It was pretty safe and there was plenty of food, so many pecan trees. Tyreese and I discussed it and decided we’d probably stay there, at least for a while. I didn’t trust Terminus and Tyreese wasn’t really keen on finding more people so I thought this was our best bet. We went out to get water one day and left Judith with Lizzie and Mika. They had guns and knives so we were pretty confident they could handle being alone for a little while,” Carol stopped and shook her head, her hands pulling at loose threads on the ends of her shirt. Daryl watched the action but didn’t say anything. He would allow her the time she needed to get this out. There were tears welling in her eyes. 

“When we got back Mika was dead. Lizzie was standing nearby with a bloody knife,” Carol practically whispered. Daryl flinched at the words, struggling to accept the fact that she was telling him. The girl had killed her own sister? 

“She told us that Mika would come back. I didn’t see it until it was too late. She didn’t see the walkers like we see them. She thought they were just different. We caught her playing with one and she freaked out when we killed it. She thought it was her friend.”

“What the fuck?” he couldn’t help from uttering. Carol looked at him and nodded. 

“Back at the prison, you remember those dissected rats we found? That was her. There was a lot wrong with her but I never could have imagined how bad it was or what could happen,” she ran a hand through her short curls. Daryl couldn’t believe how much worse her tale kept getting and he had begun to understand how traumatised she had been. 

“She had her gun out and wouldn’t let us put Mika down. She told us that she had been about to kill Judith too. I had to think fast and I told her that Judith was too young because she couldn’t walk yet. It talked her down enough that we could get Judith away from her. I convinced her that we would wait for Mika to turn and convinced her to come pick some flowers for Mika when she came back,” Carol’s hands had started to shake and he reached out to take one in his. She looked at him and he gave her a nod and a squeeze of her hand. 

“We walked to a patch of wild flowers. She talked like nothing strange had happened. When she noticed how upset I was, she thought I was mad at her for pointing her gun at me,” Carol said incredulously. 

“I told her to look at the flowers. It was what Mika and Ryan always told her to do to get her to calm down. It worked. She looked at the wild flowers, still crying. I had no choice. She was dangerous! Maybe more dangerous than walkers. She couldn’t be around people,” Carol rambled tearfully, her words coming out between gasps. Daryl squeezed her hand again, reminding her that he was there for her. 

“I told her I loved her and I shot her in the back of the head,” she finished with a cry and she collapsed, sobbing openly. Daryl sighed and tugged on her hand, pulling her into his arms. She buried her head into his chest, her tears soaking through his shirt. His mind continued to process the horrifying events she had revealed to him. He looked skyward momentarily and glared. One more reason to hate the world for what it did to her. 

“I understand if you hate me now, Daryl. I hate me for it,” her words came muffled by his shirt. He shook his head and pressed a kiss to the top of hers. 

“I ain’t never gonna hate ya. It wasn’t your fault. You said it yourself, you had no choice. You did what ya had to do. You saved Judith and Tyreese.” Daryl told her and he felt her nodding against him, still sniffling. 

“I know but it still haunts me. Every time I think about it I think of these things. I know there was nothing that could have been done but I still drive myself crazy trying to re-do it differently,” she confessed. Daryl pushed her back so he could see her. She looked up at him with her face red and blotchy from her tears. 

“You can’t do that to yourself. It was a shit situation and ya did what ya had to. Its probably never going stop haunting ya but now I know and I want ya to promise me that whenever its gettin at ya to tell me. It don’t matter if we don’t talk about it. If all you wanna do is cry then ya can but ya ain’t crying alone. It’s you and me now, right? Well, that means if you’re crying, we’re crying together,” Daryl ordered gruffly and she laughed despite the tears still staining her face. He quirked his lips in response. She wiped her face and then went back in and hugged him. 

“Thank you,” Carol murmured into his neck. He brought his hand up to bury into her short curls at the base of her neck. 

“’Course. You don’t gotta thank me,” he answered against the side of her face. 

“Yes I do. You’re always so good to me. I don’t deserve it,” she said into his neck. Daryl couldn’t believe her words. If anything, he was the one who didn’t deserve her.

“Ya deserve everything good. If I could I’d take all that shit from ya so it didn’t eat ya up so much,” Daryl confessed honestly. She deserved to be happy more than anyone. She didn’t respond, just held tighter. He pushed her back and she looked at him curiously. He felt he needed to do something. Something to show her that she wasn’t alone. That they had all done bad stuff. Not of the same magnitude but none of them were saints. 

“Long as we’re being honest right now, I got some stuff to tell ya too,” Daryl started. Carol looked surprised but intrigued. This wasn’t going to be easy for him either. He may not have dealt with the shit show Carol had but he had some dark stuff she didn’t know. 

“When the prison fell ya know I got out with Beth,” she nodded at his words so he continued. 

“Well, at first we just ran until we were sure nothin’ was chasing us. When we were finally able to stop, she wanted to go back. See if anyone else was alive. I’d already decided that everyone was dead. I shut down,” Daryl said feeling guilt fill him again for how he had treated the girl who had been hurting already. Carol continued to watch him and he could see no judgement from her yet. 

“I treated her like shit. She got some idea in her head to go find booze. I don’t think it was the booze she was really looking for, she just wanted something to do. We found the shack Michonne and I found back when we were out looking for the Governor. Ton of Moonshine,” Daryl revealed and Carol’s eyes widened. 

“Moonshine? Really?” Carol asked with a smirk. Daryl let out a half laugh. 

“Yeah. It was a bad idea of course. Alcohol and me don’t mix well,” he said, inwardly cringing when he thought back to how much of an asshole he was that night. Carol’s brow furrowed and her eyes filled with sympathy.

“What happened?” she prompted. 

“She wanted to play this stupid game. I never or some shit,” he frowned, remembering the hurtful things he had said to Beth. 

“Never have I ever?” Carol prompted again. Daryl nodded. 

“That’s it. It went alright at first. Just making stupid comments about shit. One of the things she said pissed me off though. She said never have I ever been in jail. It hurt that she thought that about me even though it ain’t that far fetched. The way I am? Of course she would assume that,” Daryl said looking away to the side. He looked rough as guts and with Merle as a brother, no wonder anyone would assume he was just as bad. Carol made a noise of dissent and she reached out her hand to rest it on his knee. 

“Daryl,” she sighed in a sympathetic voice. He shook his head at her. 

“It’s alright. Anyway, I went off on her and said a ton of shit I didn’t mean. We made up, sort of, in the end. Set the shack on fire with cash and moonshine. It was her idea,” Daryl explained with a smirk, thinking back. Carol gasped and her eyes lit up with recognition. 

“The smoke! When we were at the house, we saw smoke coming from somewhere not too far. God, if only we’d known how close we were,” Carol marvelled, shaking her head. Daryl found it mind blowing too. All that time he had spent thinking she had been dead and she was practically around the corner. 

“I know it ain’t nothing like what ya went through but I just wanted ya to see that we all do shit we regret,” Daryl explained, feeling a little silly for trying to use such a weak tale in comparison to hers. She grabbed his hand and brought to her lips where she kissed it gently. He watched her do it with surprise. 

“Thank you. It might not be the same but if it haunts you, I want to know it,” Carol affirmed. With renewed conviction he decided to confess some other sins. 

“I joined up with a group of psychos after I lost Beth. I didn’t care anymore. I just stuck with them even though I knew they were bad news. They had these stupid fuckin’ rules to follow and for a while I thought it was easier. I didn’t realise how bad they were until they had Rick, Michonne and Carl at gunpoint and one of them was about to fuckin’ rape Carl!” Daryl spat with disgust, thinking back to the night in question. Carol looked horrified. 

“What happened? How did you guys make it out?” she coaxed looking enraptured. He grinned a little at that.

“What d’ya think happened? Rick fucking Grimes! He bit the fucker’s throat out,” Daryl exclaimed, remembering how terrifying yet satisfying it had been to see it go down. Carol smiled fondly, not even seeming a bit disgusted by the thought. He guessed they both knew how unstable their friend and brother could be sometimes. 

“Next there’s Glenn. I know ya gonna say it weren’t my fault but ya don’t know the whole story. It is my fault that he was there at all. I went off looking for Dwight so I could kill ‘im for Denise. Glenn, Michonne, and Rosita followed me. Its my fault they were captured. Glenn tried to get me to come home, to let it go but I couldn’t or I wouldn’t. If I had’ve just gone back with them, none of ‘em would have been there that night at all,” Daryl confessed feeling tears welling in his eyes. He would never forgive himself for Glenn. For punching Negan which led to his death. 

“Negan made it clear straight up that if anyone did anythin’, he’d kill someone. I just couldn’t fuckin’ stand it! The way he was waving that bat in Rosita’s face with Abraham’s blood and all else on it. All I could remember in that moment was my daddy screaming in my mama’s face and I snapped. I saw red and hit the bastard but that hit cost us Glenn. Its my damn fault and no one can convince me otherwise!” Daryl cried brokenly. As soon as they had wrestled him to the ground after the punch, Daryl had been sure this was it for him. He had sent a useless apology and goodbye to Carol, knowing his death would hurt her. He should have known Negan wouldn’t make it that easy on him. Carol was crying openly now and grabbed his face in her hands gently. She stroked his hair tenderly and brought her forehead to rest against his. 

“I know you aren’t going to believe me and that’s okay but it wasn’t your fault. Maybe you made some bad choices in the moment but Glenn’s death was not your fault! Negan is the only one responsible for it. HE is the one who killed him! Okay?” Carol ordered him softly, her breath ghosting over his face. He nodded shakily, knowing ultimately she was right but the guilt would never leave him, he knew. She leant up and kissed him on the forehead as she had done what seemed like a million years ago. She leaned back and gave him a small encouraging smile as she brushed his hair back again. 

“You don’t have to tell me any more if you don’t want to,” Carol told him in a gentle tone. He shook his head.

“Nah I got a bit more to say,” he said and she nodded acceptingly, sitting back into her previous position. He took a steadying breath. 

“How I was after I escaped from the Sanctuary. I was nuts, like borderline Shane,” Daryl likened as he remembered how angry and violent he was then. He barely recognised himself when he thought back. He had just killed people with no thought to it. He’d done it before but that had been about survival. This had been nothing other than he wanted someone to pay no matter the cost. He cringed in disgust as he remembered Richard. If the man hadn’t slipped up and revealed Carol was the target for his plan, he could have lost her. 

“I was killing people left, right and centre, just ‘cause I was pissed at the world. I killed Morales from the quarry. He was a saviour. Was gonna kill Rick. I didn’t even hesitate. Just shot a bolt right through his head. The way Rick looked at me,” He shook his head. Rick had looked at him like he was a stranger and to be honest, he was. Carol looked surprised to hear that the man from their old quarry camp had shown up again. He knew that Sophia had been friends with the man’s daughter, who had obviously also died somewhere along the way. 

“Sorry. I know you was probably friends with him back then,” Daryl apologised and Carol blinked in seeming surprise. 

“Don’t be sorry. You saved Rick. Maybe you acted out of your anger but the fact remains that you still saved your best friend and that’s what matters. Besides, if he was a saviour, then I clearly wouldn’t have known him anymore,” She said encouragingly with no waver. He nodded in acceptance. He dropped his gaze from her as he thought of Richard again. He needed to tell her.   
“I could have killed you too,” He confessed and he watched as her eyebrows shot up. There was no accusation in her gaze just confusion. 

“Richard came to me to get me in on his plan. He wanted to use some survivor as a martyr to get Ezekiel into the fight against the saviours. When he told me, it sounded like a good deal. All I wanted was Negan taken out so if this got another player on our side? I was all for it,” Daryl started remembering how it hadn’t seemed like much of a sacrifice for him. Some unknown person died so they could have more power to fight Negan. Who cares. 

“He fucked up though. He let it slip that this survivor was a woman. That she had more balls than him and me combined. Knew it was you then,” Daryl let a little smile come across his lips at that. That was a damn true statement. Carol cheeks coloured a little as she looked down sheepishly. 

“I made him confess that it was you and then I told him if anything happened to ya I’d fucking kill him,” he said seriously. 

“Apparently the message didn’t get through as he tried to flag down the saviours that were coming to keep the plan going. I beat the shit out of him and went to come see ya,” Daryl confessed and Carol’s eyes softened. 

“Thank you,” she said with gratitude clear on her face. He looked away from her but nodded. He didn’t believe her thanks was necessary for something that came so automatically from him. Protecting her was like second nature to him. 

“I don’t just mean for stopping Richard, I mean for telling me all these things. I know how hard it is for you to open up. It means a lot that you told me,” Carol clarified with pride shining in her eyes for his apparent courageous move. He blushed and chewed his lip. 

“Ain’t nothing. Should told ya a long time ago,” Daryl argued. He had kept too much from her, which, he now realised, was part of why they had drifted apart. 

“Me too. I should have told you that night we had watch. I knew you wanted me to tell you. I’m sorry I didn’t,” she agreed, with a guilty look. He shook his head.

“It’s all out there now. That’s what matters. How ‘bout this? From now on, we don’t keep nothing from each other?” Daryl suggested sounding a little unsure. Carol smiled as she seemed to think it over. 

“Okay, deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this and I'll try to get the next one up as soon as I can.


	6. Nightmares and Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl has a nightmare this time and it prompts an emotional conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we have the next chapter. This is another short one. The reason I have both having nightmares is in order to get those things out in the open between them.

Carol was jostled awake by movement. She blinked sleepily and saw the dark outline of the tent above her. She turned over and saw Daryl thrashing about, still deep asleep. Carol reached her hands out and gently grabbed him by the shoulders. She didn’t want to risk waking him too abruptly, knowing how frightening it was. His strength pushed against her. 

“Daryl,” she called to him softly. He whimpered and tried to grab at her hands. She moved her hands and brought them to his face, stroking it. 

“Stop! No more, please!” Daryl begged desperately and Carol’s eyes filled with tears. 

“Daryl. Wake up,” she leaned down to press her lips to his forehead. She moved her head lower near his ear and murmured comforting words. He began to settle and his breathing slowed. Carol breathed out in relief, thinking the worst had passed. Soon, her eyes flew open in shock as she was roughly shoved away and she fell on her back on the tent floor. She was winded briefly and she gasped, trying to catch her breath. She vaguely heard Daryl sit up and swear. 

“Dammit!” he cursed and she heard the sleeping bag ruffle as he moved. “Carol? Carol!” she heard him cry and felt as his hands brushed against her as he moved into her line of sight. He looked frantic as his eyes flew over her. 

“Carol? You okay?” he asked desperately as his hands came to cradle her face. Her chest burned but her breaths came easier now. She took a moment to ensure she wouldn’t choke on her words before speaking. 

“I’m alright. Just got winded when I fell,” she answered with laboured breath. He moved back a little as she pushed back up onto her knees. He continued to look at her with worry. 

“I’m sorry! I didn’t realise it was you. Don’t you dare lie to me, you tell me if you’re hurt,” he ordered hoarsely as he scrutinised her carefully. She shook her head at him and gave a placating smile. 

“I’m okay, I promise. I’m more worried about you. That was some nightmare you were having,” she probed carefully. He bit his lip and nodded. 

“You wanted talk about it?” she offered and he opened his mouth to respond before he seemed to think for a moment. 

“Was gonna say no but we made a deal, right?” he said with a quirk of his lips.

“You don’t have to,” Carol offered, regardless of the deal they had made to tell each other everything. He shook his head. 

“Nah, I think I do,” Daryl said resolutely. Carol nodded and settled close to him. 

“It was about when Negan took me and kept me at The Sanctuary,” he started with a haunted look in his eyes. 

“I was back in that damn cell, with that music playin’ over and over. Dwight was there, forcing me to eat dog food. Then they’d strip my clothes off and the beatings would start.” Daryl didn’t look at Carol when he spoke. She simply watched him with a pained expression. 

“That’s what they did to you?” Carol asked gently. He looked her way and didn’t respond at first. He bit his lip. 

“Mostly. They had me doing other shit for ‘em like cleaning the floors and waved me in front of Rick to try and keep ‘im weak.” Carol nodded her understanding and sighed. Daryl breathed out heavily.  
“None of that was the worst of it for me though. It was Glenn. Dwight put a picture of what Negan did to him up in my cell. I tried not the look at it,” Daryl trailed off with tears in his eyes now. 

“Oh, Daryl!” Carol said and she moved to him and pulled him into her arms. He returned the embrace instantly and buried his face in her neck. 

“When I have nightmares, that’s what I see. Glenn. But not Glenn. Just what was left of him,” Daryl sobbed into her shirt, staining it with his tears. She stroked his hair softly and held him tighter. She didn’t offer apologies or comforts because she knew he didn’t want them. He just wanted her to know.

“I wish I never left,” Carol blurted out. Daryl abruptly pulled away to look at her. 

“Don’t say that. I’m glad you left. If you had stayed, you might have been there that night. It could have been you I got killed.” His expression was frantic as if it was a possibility of happening again. Carol hushed him by patting his shoulders. He settled a little. 

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. It’s not your fault. Negan would’ve killed someone regardless of what you did. Glenn wasn’t your fault. You know he would say the same,” Carol reasoned, staring deep into his eyes. His gaze broke but had softened some. 

“I know he would. He was a dumbass sometimes.” Carol’s lips quirked at that and Daryl reluctantly returned her small smile. 

“Aren’t we all?” Carol asked sardonically and Daryl snorted quietly. 

“Thank you for telling me. I know it’s never easy for you to talk about your feelings,” Carol thanked gently. Daryl nodded stiffly and sighed. He looked worn out. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along with her towards the sleeping bag.

“Come on. It’s not morning yet. We’ve got a big day tomorrow,” she said and Daryl followed her without argue. She made him get in first and then she slid in after him, ensuring there was no space to part them. As an extra effort of comfort, she grasped his hand in hers where it rested on her stomach. He squeezed her hand gently. 

It didn’t take long for them to slip back into slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this. Thanks for reading and for your support!


	7. A New Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Carol find a new friend

They were once again driving down the road. The trees flew past in a blur. Carol had her head resting against the window. The cab of the truck was silent as they drove but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was the most peace they’d felt in a long time. 

Carol turned her head from the window and looked over at Daryl. He had one hand on the wheel and the other was at his mouth, where he chewed at his thumb. He always did it and she guessed it was an unconscious habit. Usually when something was bothering him or he was thinking really hard. She smiled. He noticed her looking at him after a beat. 

“What?” he asked as his eyes swept over her. She shook her head. 

“Nothing. Just admiring the view,” she teased with a smirk. He scoffed at her and gave her a disbelieving look. 

“Stop,” he muttered as he always did when she teased him. This only made her smile grow. For a moment it felt like it was years ago. They were on a run to get supplies to bring back to the prison. It hadn’t happened often but whenever he could manage to steal her away outside the prison walls, it always felt this way. Easy and playful. She sighed. This made Daryl look over at her with concern written on his face. 

“You okay?” he queried, sounding nervous. 

“Are you?” she threw back at him. He frowned and shook his head. 

“I’m fine,” he muttered unconvincingly. 

“Daryl, there’s something on your mind that you’re nervous to say,” Carol deduced and he bit his lip. 

“It’s just, if you’ve changed your mind, it ain’t too late to turn around,” Daryl rushed out, not making eye contact. Carol blinked in surprise before laughing out loud. Daryl’s head snapped to look at her in shock. 

“That’s what you were worried about? That I changed my mind?” Carol asked disbelievingly. He avoided her gaze as he shrugged, which confirmed this. 

“That’s not what I was thinking at all. I was thinking that I missed the prison,” she revealed making him start in surprise. 

“That’s what you were thinkin’ about?” he asked, looking sceptical. She nodded. 

“I was thinking about how great it was there. We’ll never find anywhere like that again,” she said wistfully.

“We’ll find somewhere. Somewhere better,” Daryl said resolutely and Carol nodded absently, not entirely believing that was possible. 

They continued to drive in comfortable silence, just letting themselves enjoy the freedom. They neared a small farm with a cliché barn of deep red. Carol frowned as they grew closer. There was a small cluster of walkers rallied around the doors of the barn. 

“You see that?” Carol asked, still staring out the window. She turned to look at Daryl and he was looking at the barn now. 

“What do you think?” she asked him. He chewed his lip and looked thoughtful. 

“Could be anything.” 

“We should check it out,” Carol announced and looked to Daryl for confirmation. He looked unsure. 

“I don’t know.” 

“I think we should. I can’t explain it but I just feel like we should,” Carol argued with a furrowed brow. Daryl looked at her for a long moment before nodding and changing the direction of the car. 

The sound of the car was loud enough the draw the attention of a few of the walkers, who ambled over slowly. The other half of the herd stayed put, pawing at the doors to the barn. It wasn’t long until they heard the most unexpected noise. A stream of barks. 

“Is that a dog?” Carol asked without needing an answer because indeed it was a dog. 

Daryl stalked forward and drove his knife into the skull of a walker before doing the same to another. Carol moved to his side to dispatch the other two walkers nearby. Daryl wiped off his knife on his pants before replacing it in its sheath. He marched back to Carol and indicated to the truck. 

“Come on, let’s get back on the road,” Daryl instructed and Carol frowned. She looked at the barn and could see the wood giving way under the weight of the walkers effort. 

“Daryl,” she admonished softly with a look and he narrowed his eyes. 

“It’s a damn dog. You really want to risk your life for that?” he said in disbelief. She pursed her lips and stalked towards the barn defiantly. She vaguely heard Daryl sigh behind her. 

She crept up behind the herd, making her footsteps quiet. She stabbed the closest walker and it fell to the ground causing the others to notice her presence. She backed up a little and they followed her movement eagerly. She grabbed one of the walkers and slid her knife through its eye socket. Comically, the next walker tumbled over the first she killed and fell to the ground. She stepped over it, ignoring it for the time being and paid her attention to the last few walkers stumbling towards her. She kicked one away and stuck her knife into the next one under the jaw. 

She turned to the next one but the sound of an arrow shooting past took it out. She smiled and stabbed the last walker in its head. She leaned down and wiped her knife on the clothes of the walker before restoring it to the waistband of her pants. She turned around and watched Daryl stab the last walker on the ground in the head before stomping over to her. She smiled at him brightly and he glared a little. She knew he didn’t mean it. He shook his head and began to trudge toward the barn. There was a beam of wood strewn across the door. He grabbed it and shoved it away. The barn doors opened easily after that. Without warning a four legged creature was jumping all over Daryl. 

“The hell? Get off of me!” Daryl protested as the dog licked his face wildly. Carol giggled openly at the sight. The dog finally abandoned Daryl and bounded over to her. She bent to its level and ran her hands over its head, accepting the licks it bestowed. 

“Wow, you’re so friendly!” Carol marvelled, remembering the feral dogs they encountered on the road. The dog was a type of shepherd and was a little skinny but otherwise looked quite healthy. Carol looked back over at Daryl, who was watching her interact with the dog. 

“We ain’t takin’ him!” Daryl ordered grumpily. He continued to look at the dog with annoyance. Carol scratched the dog under the ears.

“Come on, Daryl. We can’t just leave him here,” she argued with a pout.

“Yeah we can,” he retorted gruffly. Carol shook her head at him and turned her attention back to the dog, whose tail was wagging rapidly. 

“You’re going to come with us!” she gushed in a babyish voice and Daryl scoffed and stomped away. Carol watched after him with pursed lips. She stood and patted her thigh to indicate to the dog to follow her. It dutifully trotted along beside her as she headed back to the truck, where Daryl leaned against it with crossed arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely love Dog and his relationship with Daryl so I needed to introduce him to this. I figure this is a little how Daryl would have been when he first found Dog. Reluctant at first but eventually gave in. Also if you're thinking Carol is OOC about wanting to take Dog with them, don't worry. It will be addressed. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	8. Getting Acquainted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Carol have a contemplative conversation while driving before stopping for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there. Sorry this one took so long to go up. Been dealing with not fun real life problems. I hope you enjoy this one even though its pretty short.

Carol turned back around in her seat with a small smile. Daryl could see the dog in the rear view mirror, panting happily. 

“You’ve changed,” he blurted, breaking the silence. Carol’s head turned towards him. Her eyes held a semblance of surprise. 

“What do you mean?” she asked in a curious tone. He contemplated his answer with a chew of his lower lip. 

“You’re softer than you were. Before, if we’d found that dog, you’d have left it to die,” Daryl responded. He took his eyes from the road to study her before looking ahead once more. It was clear that he was not judging her past self but just making an observation. She looked thoughtful. 

“You’re right. I guess I am softer than I was,” she muttered, contemplating the thought. Daryl made a noise to indicate he was listening. 

“That was Ezekiel’s influence. I think that was the best thing to come of being with him,” she volunteered. Daryl cocked his head to the side. Carol figured he needed more of an explanation. 

“Before I was with him, you know what I was like. Every moment was about survival. Being around his naivety showed me there could be more,” she explained. Daryl looked at her and nodded his understanding. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been able to see the world that way,” Daryl revealed with a downturn of his lips. 

“I’ll help you,” Carol vowed with an encouraging smile. He chewed on his lip as he looked at her and just inclined his head. 

“Here’s is your first exercise; you can name the dog!” Carol offered with an excited grin. Daryl grumbled and rolled his eyes. 

“Nah,” he murmured as he continued to stare at the road. She huffed and shoved his side. 

“Come on. Just humour me. Please?” Carol begged with wide eyes and he glanced at her and sighed. 

“Fine. Dog,” Daryl declared and Carol wrinkled her nose. 

“Really?” she asked with a raised brow. Daryl shrugged his shoulders. 

“That’s what I pick. Take it or leave it.” 

Carol pursed her lips but didn’t argue it. 

“Fine but if he develops a complex it’s your fault!” Carol teased and Daryl shook his head at her with a smirk. 

The sun began to dip below the horizon and Daryl pulled into the tree line to park. Carol wordlessly climbed out of the truck and rounded the back. 

Dog yipped in acknowledgement as he saw his new friend. She smiled at him and gave him a scratch on the head. Dog jumped down from the truck and followed Carol as she headed further into the trees with supplies for camp. Carol heard Daryl get out of the truck and follow. 

Carol set to work on the tent, while dealing with an exuberant Dog, who wanted more affection. 

Daryl watched them both for a while in amusement before whistling at the dog. Dog turned at the whistle and bounded over to Daryl. The four legged creature immediately jumped up and planted his paws on Daryl’s chest. Daryl rolled his eyes and began petting the dog.

“Still think it was a good idea to take him with us?” Daryl quipped at Carol who continued her work on the tent. Carol smirked and looked up at him from her bent position. 

“He’s just excited! He’ll calm down.” 

Daryl looked at the dog, who was staring up at him with a dopey grin, it’s tongue hanging out. Daryl shook his head. He was sure this dog would be nothing but trouble. 

As they bedded down for the night, Daryl grumbled about making the dog stay outside the tent. Carol turned a ridiculous pout on him, which took him off guard. He had brushed off the issue as if it was no big deal and climbed into the sleeping bag, keeping his head down to hide the blush. Carol smirked victoriously as she slid in beside him, patting the end of the sleeping bag. Dog ignored her gesture though, to her surprise and instead curled up against Daryl’s side. 

“What the fuck?” Daryl spat in his upset. Carol hushed him by smoothing her hand along his bicep. 

“Leave him be. He likes you!” Carol cooed happily. She heard Daryl snort derisively but he didn’t try to get rid of the happy dog. He only stiffened a little as she snuggled into his back and she smiled. They were making some steps in the right direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go, hope you enjoyed. I'm not too sure where to go from here to be honest. I didn't have much in mind when I started this story. If you have any ideas about where they could go next or something you'd like to see happen, let me know in the comments. I'm definitely up for making this interactive with you guys.


End file.
